Digital images can become blurred when the image is initially captured. When taking digital pictures in low light situations, the shutter stays open for a relatively long period of time. During this time, if the image capturing device shakes or if the object moves, then the captured image is blurred.
Movement of the image capturing device or the object can be difficult to control. Some pictures are taken from moving vehicles that impart motion to the user or image capturing device. Other pictures are taken of moving objects, such as people or objects in sporting events. Thus, even if the user steadily holds the image capturing device, movement of the object being captured can cause blur in the resultant image.
Some image capturing devices, such as digital cameras, enable users to immediately view the captured image on a display. If the captured image appears blurry, then the image can be deleted or possibly another image taken. This process is repeated until the user is satisfied with the quality of the captured image.
Many different mechanisms exist to prevent blur from occurring or remove blur once it occurs. For example, flashes and other lighting reduce the exposure time and minimize the occurrence of blur. Flashes are not always available or permitted and are ineffective when the target object is located a great distance from the camera.
As another example, tripods stabilize cameras while the image is being captured. A tripod, however, is not completely effective if the image moves. Further, tripods and other stabilizing equipment are not always readily available.
Most digital cameras include auto-focus settings to improve the quality of captured images. Even with auto-focus though, images can still be out-of-focus or blurred due to motion of the camera during capture or failure of the auto-focus function (example, when the digital camera fails to find an appropriate focus for any part of the image). Users can still download captured images to a personal computer and manually view each image to determine which ones are blurred. Such determinations are time consuming and difficult, especially if the display device is small or the spatial resolution is limited.